The Wearing of the Green

“Gee whiz, Brian,” Justin said as the guys were settling themselves in front of their fake fireplace, “St. Patrick’s Day is getting almost as big as Christmas for us.”

“Well the party at Gino’s gets bigger every year,” Brian agreed. “This one set an attendance record. And I think we’ll be working on the parade from now on too – for a while at least. Maginnity was real happy with your work. He got several calls from people who saw his name on that float.”

“Not that it was like – an advertisement or anything. Oh so what. I loved that parade,” Justin enthused. “I can’t believe they never used live entertainment-type floats before. Not that the marching bands weren’t great too.”

“I think Gus might be a little bit overly pleased with himself though - with all the cheers he got, JT,” Brian warned. “It’s your job to keep him from getting big-headed – since it was you who put him on that float in the first place.”

“If you will remember, Brian,” Justin countered, “it was your idea to get Gus involved – not mine.”

“Maybe so, Baby,” Brian went on, “but it was you who did all the planning that made him look so good – and I think you have more experience with big-headed people too – so it would be better for you to….”

“Maybe you’re right about my experience with big-headed people, Kinney,” Justin laughed. “I’ve been dealing with you – quite successfully I might add – for a good while now.”

“You’re just proving my point now, Taylor,” Brian laughed back. “So you deal with Gus. But you can be proud of those floats. They were the best parts of the parade….”

“Next year will be better,” Justin predicted with assurance. “I have ideas ….”

Apparently though, Justin Taylor was not the only one with ideas. Brian initiated a pause in the discussion at this point – which Justin would agree was a very good idea.

It was a while before any conversation resumed – and when it did, the subject had changed.

“I was surprised about the unexpected guests at Gino’s, JT,” Brian reopened. “There were five extra chairs at the table though - so somebody wasn’t surprised….”

“I didn’t do it, Bri,” Justin replied. “I was just as surprised as you. Brandon and Jason arranged for Dave and Wendell to fly in for the party – and bring Rick, Robert and Shawn with them. I had mentioned the party to Wendell but he didn’t seem very interested – and I wouldn’t have even thought to invite Robert and Rickshaw because that would have caused a riot at Gino’s. They’re three of the most popular TV stars around – with tons of crazy fans.”

“Unless they came in disguise, JT,” Brian pointed out, “like they did – dressed like leprechauns.”

“They weren’t leprechauns, Brian,” Justin corrected him. “They were dressed as shanachies – old Irish story tellers. Your mother knew they were shanachies. I’m surprised you didn’t – you think you’re so Irish. Johnny and Peter and those guys were leprechauns. There’s a difference”

“Anyhow,” Brian ignored the criticism. “Shawn told me that they were all so glad not to be recognized. It was the first time in a couple of years that they were able to sit and eat in a public restaurant and not be constantly harassed.”

“Well they took a real chance during the audience participation time,” Justin pointed out, “when they went up as a trio and sang ‘Molly Malone.’ They sang that same song together last week on one of the daytime TV talk shows – as all of their fans would know. It’s even on Youtube. I saw a couple of folks in the audience who seemed to be a little suspicious – but I guess they decided that these guys were just copying from that performance.”

“You don’t think they really wanted to be recognized, do you?” Brian wondered. “That does seem like a dumb thing for them to do.”

“Nope,” Justin decided. “I think they just like to live dangerously, Bri. They need adventure.”

“Not like us?” Brian surmised, “Old settled folk - who don’t need any adventure at all.”

“Well I wouldn’t exactly say that,” Justin told him. There’s adventure – and then there’s adventure….”

Justin illustrated his point by introducing another pause in the discussion – and Brian didn’t argue that it was not an adventure either. Brian didn’t feel like arguing at all – till a little later that is.

“Getting back to Gus, Sweetheart,” Brian said eventually. “Given the situation, maybe you shouldn’t have arranged for him to do a duet with Roger on those Irish folk songs right after ‘Molly Malone.’ Remember - we don’t want him to be always trying to be the center of attention – like I said before….”

“That wasn’t my idea either, BK,” Justin defended himself. “Everything isn’t my idea. Gino asked Roger if he’d play some stuff – and like – Roger called Gus up. I guess I better tell you this now though – I was gonna tell you like – tomorrow - but I don’t want to be accused of keeping secrets. Roger’s making a CD now – and he wants Gus to be on a couple of the tracks. If you don’t want him to be ….”

“First of all, Taylor,” Brian laughed. “If you didn’t want him on that CD you’d have squelched it already – and if you want him on that CD, there’s no way I could keep him off of it. So as long as you undertake the task of keeping our kid from getting too big-headed, I guess it’s OK. What do Linz and Mel think? I’m sure they already know- if the time has come to mention it to me …..”

“If the CD makes any money, Bri,” Justin told him, “Gus will be getting royalties. Maybe he’ll even be self-supporting – and you won’t have to …..”

“Self-supporting, eh?” Brian grinned. “That tells me what Mel and Linz think of the CD business,”

“That’s mean of you to say, Kinney,” Justin gibed. “And since it’s pretty much you who supports him anyhow….”

“So you’re telling me that next year we’ll need four shanachies at the party?” Brian was still laughing, “And our kid will be fighting off his female fans too.”

“I don’t think next year, Brian,” Justin said, “but I’m afraid that day will come…..”

“And will we be ready when that day comes?” Brian asked the kid.

“Yeah – I’ll be,” Justin grinned at him, “and I’ll help you through it too – like I help you through everything.”

“I’ll look forward to that,” Brian kidded him. “And I guess we’ll be shanachies too then – cause we’ll have a lot of stories to tell.”

“And maybe some not to tell too?” Justin proposed.

“Like what?” Brian wanted to know. “Wanna show me?”

And that was exactly what Justin wanted to do.
 

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